Officials say humidity, not just temperature should be considered

Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 06:53 AM.

Jezek said some of the symptoms to watch for include becoming dizzy or light-headed or nauseous, or experience heavy sweating.

The National Weather Service and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also provide information on staying safe in the heat.

Each advises against leaving children, disable or older person or pets unattended in a car, even with the windows down.

According NWS information, the sun’s shortwave radiation heats objects that it strikes, and a dark dashboard, for example, can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to 200 degrees. These objects, such as a dashboard, steering wheel, or child seat, heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation, which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

On an 80-degree day, temperatures inside a car can raise to near 100 degrees within 10 minutes.

For some, staying cool inside their home can be difficult if they don’t have air conditioning or efficient cooling.

Onslow County Senior Services works to help each summer by offering free 22-inch box fans to seniors 60 or older, provided they did not receive one the previous year.

As the warm temperatures and sunny skies draw area residents outdoors this summer, public health officials say it’s important to consider the humidity, as well as the temperature when they are planning activities outside.

“The combination of heat and high humidity is where people can become vulnerable (to heat-related illness),” said Whitney Jezek, preparedness and response nurse manager for the Onslow County Health Department.

Jezek said that 80-degree days can be dangerously hot when high humidity is factored in.

According to a National Weather Service heat index chart, an 84-degree day with relative humidity of 80 percent can feel like 94 degrees.

Temperatures in the 80s are expected to continue into early next week, with additional rain moving in over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service forecast office in Newport.

Meteorologist Casey Dail said the lower-than-normal temperatures and lower humidity seen in recent days aren’t likely to last. Highs in the 90s and low temperatures in the 70s are more typical for July into August.

“There’s still a lot of summer left,” Dail said.

According to the NWS, heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States and resulted in 92 deaths in 2013.

Older adults, young children and individuals with chronic illness are more susceptible to the effects of extreme heat; but Jezek said drinking plenty of water, juice or fluids that do not have caffeine, is important for everyone.

“Even the healthiest of individuals can fall victim to heat-related illness if they are not hydrated,” she said.

Limiting exercise and strenuous activities and wearing sunscreen can also help and are also encouraged during extreme heat.

“Wear sunscreen. Your skin is a cooling mechanism and it can’t work properly to cool your body with a sunburn,” Jezek said.

Heat-related illnesses can range from heat cramps to heat exhaustion to the more serious heat stroke.

Jezek said some of the symptoms to watch for include becoming dizzy or light-headed or nauseous, or experience heavy sweating.

The National Weather Service and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also provide information on staying safe in the heat.

Each advises against leaving children, disable or older person or pets unattended in a car, even with the windows down.

According NWS information, the sun’s shortwave radiation heats objects that it strikes, and a dark dashboard, for example, can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to 200 degrees. These objects, such as a dashboard, steering wheel, or child seat, heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation, which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

On an 80-degree day, temperatures inside a car can raise to near 100 degrees within 10 minutes.

For some, staying cool inside their home can be difficult if they don’t have air conditioning or efficient cooling.

Onslow County Senior Services works to help each summer by offering free 22-inch box fans to seniors 60 or older, provided they did not receive one the previous year.

Senior Services received 46 fans through a program through the East Carolina Area Agency on Aging. While all those have been distributed, director Christine Kinnett said they are continuing to provide fans through community donations.

“These are for seniors who are not able to keep their homes cool enough; some might not have air conditioning, or it may be broken or not cool the whole house,” she said.

During periods of extreme heat, Kinnett said they also recommend that family and friends check on their neighbors and family members to ensure they are OK.

And for seniors who are able to get out of the house, Kinnett said there are public places within the community they can go to spend some time in an air-conditioned place, such as the library or USO.

She said seniors can also stop by the Senior Services center.

For more information about fans available through Onslow County Senior Services, call 910-455-2747.